We were proud to launch our new Research Hub on Climate Change and Environmental Shocks on Friday 6 June, as part of the University of Oxford's Global Climate Summit ‘Right Here Right Now’, hosted in partnership with UN Human Rights and the International Universities Climate Alliance.

As a key goal in our vision to 2030, the Hub will link Young Lives' incredible longitudinal cohort data set with climate and environmental data to deliver ground-breaking new research on how life-course exposure to climate shocks – including extreme weather events, increasing temperatures and worsening air pollution - impact young people’s development and well-being in the Global South. Our ambition is to:  

i) drive climate justice through locally grounded, data-driven insights;  

ii) inform climate adaptation strategies & SDG-related policies; and  

iii) build capacity and empower the next generations of researchers in the Global South.

Director of Young Lives, Marta Favara, and Deputy Director, Kath Ford, hosted a panel of international experts from UN Human Rights, the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), the University of Oxford, and the University of Pennsylvania.  

Neven Fučkar (University of Oxford) presented an overview of global environmental data (including rainfall, temperature and rainfall data) showcasing the potential for linking to Young Lives longitudinal data, and Jisung Park (University of Pennsylvania) focused on innovative new research his team have been taking forward on the impact of rising temperatures on human capital.  

In a final discussion on why this research matters, Sarah Lane Smith (FCDO), David Kerr (The Africa Oxford Initiative, University of Oxford) and Benjamin Schachter (UN Human Rights Office) discussed the impact of the Hub for informing policies and programmes relating to achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate adaptation strategies, as well as capacity building and supporting the next generation of researchers in the Global South.  

For further information about the Young Lives Research Hub on Climate Change and Environmental Shocks, please email Marta Favara (marta.favara@qeh.ox.ac.uk) or Kath Ford (katherine.ford@qeh.ox.ac.uk)

If scrolling to timestamps on a PC, you may find it easier on YouTube; just click 'YouTube' in the bottom right corner of the video.

[00:00:00] Marta Favara, Director of Young Lives 
Welcome and overview of event; Introduction to the Young Lives Hub on Climate Change and Environmental Shocks and evidence to date from Young Lives.  

[00:18:29] Neven Fučkar, University of Oxford 
Overview of environmental data currently available (including rainfall, temperature and air pollution data) and showcasing the power of matching environmental data with longitudinal and household survey data.  

[00:40:52] Jisung Park, University of Pennsylvania 
Presenting new research on the impact of extreme temperatures on human capital, highlighting how better availability of longitudinal data would have strengthened this evidence.  

[01:04:20] Kath Ford, Young Lives Deputy Director and Head of Policy and Partnerships
An informal panel discussion reflecting on the potential impact of the Hub; focusing on:  

• Impact on policy: providing policy-relevant research that can reframe global debates, informing climate adaptation and resilience policies with the power to improve lives and help meet the SDGs.  
• Impact on knowledge and capacity building: providing a unique longitudinal dataset to support the next generation of researchers / transformative leaders in Africa and the Global South.

Panel discussants:  

Sarah Lane Smith, Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) 
David Kerr, The Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx) 
Benjamin Schachter, United Nations Human Rights Office